


Patience

by OriginalUsername



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: enjoy, it was popular on Tumblr so I've consolidated it to here, this is the shortest and most concentrated dose of angst fluff you'll ever get
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 14:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13572249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalUsername/pseuds/OriginalUsername
Summary: Taako is patient, but it doesn't seem that way now.





	Patience

**Author's Note:**

> Can I make you suffer and then recover in less than 700 words? Stay tuned.

It’s not that Taako is impatient.

His time growing up on the road trained him in the art of patience, of waiting for just the perfect opportunity. Stealing food or escaping from a dangerous caravan can’t be done hastily. A hasty move can get you killed, and Taako holds this lesson close to his heart.

He’s a  _chef_ , he  _has_  to be patient. He can spend days preparing a single meal, simmering or marinating. He’ll make the recipe over and over again if it means reaching that perfect consistency, or finally mastering a complex dance of flavors.

And his grudges, holy Istus, don’t even pretend Taako won’t hold a grudge for  _decades_. If someone’s hurt you once, you can’t afford to forget it. You can move on and you can act like it never happened, but a bad wound will always heal into a scar. And when the time comes, Taako’s revenge is long, and torturous, and  _sweet_.

Yeah, Taako can be patient as  _fuck_.

But it wouldn’t seem that way, now. Trying to meditate and failing, trying to think of something,  _anything_ , besides what must be happening just outside. His usual calm facade is shattered as he bounces his leg and wrings his hands. The powerlessness he feels overwhelms him and terrifies him as he struggles to keep from going mad inside this cold gray building filled with indifferent faces, none of whom can help him or his family.

It shouldn’t be taking this long. They should be back by now. Maybe it’s a good thing they’ve been gone so long? No, no definitely not.

The minutes crawl by and he knows he shouldn’t be getting himself too worked up. There’s nothing he can do, and incessantly worrying about it won’t change anything. He tries to think about dinner, planning a grand and celebratory feast for when his family comes home victorious. He doesn’t want to consider the alternative. What will he do if it’s gone wrong?

Taako takes a deep breath in and smooths his hands across his skirt, fighting the impulse to think about Angus, of how scared and desperate he must feel. He’s not alone, he has Kravitz with him, but there’s little Kravitz can do. It’s all up to Angus. He’s on his own.

A sharp buzzing sound plays overhead and the people here with him all turn their disinterested faces to the sound, half-listening to the droning voice reading names and numbers. Taako doesn’t look, doesn’t need to, doesn’t  _want_  to. His boy is already out there, fending for himself, and Kravitz can’t help and Taako’s stuck in here and he doesn’t think he can  _wait_  any longer.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to. He feels his ears shoot up at the tell-tale sound of those large doors grating open, and he’s on his feet before they’re even fully open.

He sees Kravitz first, slightly sweaty from the midday heat but otherwise fine. He meets Taako’s eyes and gives a soft smile of…relief.

And then there’s Angus, bounding through the doors and thrusting a piece of paper triumphantly into the air. Tears stubbornly appear in Taako’s eyes as his little boy, less little now than he used to be, pumps a fist and grins.

“Good news, sir!”, Angus announces, “I did it! I got my cart-driving license!”

Taako casts disguise self to mask those pesky tears before Angus runs into his open arms. “Good job my man, I’m proud of you Ango.” He gives the boy a high-five, and then ruffles his hair for good measure as Kravitz crosses the Fantasy DMV, appearing at his side.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, the test took longer than we thought,” Kravitz apologizes, looking Taako over. He’s intelligent, he can probably see through the spell, see the tears of joy and relief swimming in Taako’s eyes.

Taako gives a nonchalant wave of his hand, letting it rest on Angus’s shoulder. “Don’t even worry about it. Taako’s got patience.”

**Author's Note:**

> What a good boy I love my little son. This was pulled off my Tumblr so it's short but I like it so screw conventional fic length.


End file.
